Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Author
PINEHURST, N.C. — As Wyndham Clark started the stroll down the No. 1 fairway within the ultimate spherical of the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership, many followers cheered for Rickie Fowler, who was enjoying within the ultimate pairing with him.
“Bear in mind they’re cheering for him,” Clark’s caddie John Ellis instructed him. “Bear in mind who they’re going to cheer for on the finish.”
Ellis’ recommendation proved prophetic, as Clark held off Fowler, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler and four-time main championship winner Rory McIlroy for a 1-shot victory to win his first main.
It was a far cry from the dialog Ellis had with Clark eight months earlier within the ultimate spherical of the CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Membership in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Clark was on his strategy to tying for twenty ninth at 5 below, 12 photographs behind winner McIlroy.
Strolling up the golf green of the 18th gap, Clark had solely 11 golf equipment in his bag — as a substitute of the allowable 14. He had damaged his putter in anger for the second day in a row and given it to a fan, snapped a sand wedge after a poor chip shot and broken his 3-wood when he slammed it in opposition to his driver.
“It made my bag fairly gentle,” Ellis mentioned.
After the spherical, Ellis delivered what was all however an ultimatum to Clark: “You are on the verge of being among the best gamers on this planet, and also you’re additionally actually, actually near being on the verge of being off the tour. You’ll be able to’t go about it like this.”
THIS WEEK, CLARK arrives at Pinehurst No. 2 because the defending U.S. Open champion and among the best golfers on this planet. It’s the fruits of a comeback from private tragedy and years of battling anger and self-doubt in his expertise.
Clark is one in every of a number of golfers on the PGA Tour who has been open about struggles with psychological well being, together with North Carolina native Grayson Murray, who died by suicide in Could — a day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Problem at Colonial.
“On the finish of the day, you recognize, golf is golf and, yeah, we play it for a dwelling, but it surely pales compared to the issues that really matter in life,” McIlroy instructed reporters on the RBC Canadian Open within the wake of Murray’s demise. “I’ve needed to notice that at instances and I am nonetheless form of working my means by way of that by way of not making golf the be-all end-all for me.”
It took a village to assist Clark notice that how he performs has no bearing on his self-worth.
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“He isn’t even the identical human — on and off the course,” Ellis mentioned. “I believe he judged himself for who he was primarily based on how he performed these 18 holes of golf in a day. That is a tricky strategy to reside life, proper? In case you go searching, he is on the PGA Tour, he is making a big amount of cash, he is enjoying a sport he loves. It is fairly good what you are doing, no matter how issues are going.”
Ellis was an assistant coach on the College of Oregon in Clark’s lone season with the Geese in 2016-17. The 2 hit it off, so Ellis adopted him to hold his bag on the Korn Ferry Tour after which the PGA Tour. Ellis did not wish to go away Clark with out a caddie, however he knew the participant’s conduct wasn’t good for his or her relationship — or his golf.
“There was a degree the place there’s nothing I am doing or saying that is getting by way of to him,” Ellis mentioned. “It wasn’t working primarily based on how he was dealing with himself.”
Ellis inspired Clark to contact efficiency coach Julie Elion, the founding father of the Heart for Athletic Efficiency Enhancement, who had helped PGA Tour golfers Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Justin Thomas and others.
AT FIRST, CLARK wasn’t eager on the thought of working with Elion. He had labored with sports activities psychologists all through his profession and sought therapists’ assist following his mom Lise’s demise from breast most cancers in 2013. He did not imagine any of them had helped.
“I attempted all of them,” Clark instructed Ellis.
“Nicely, this particular person may very well be completely different,” Ellis mentioned.
When Clark’s supervisor Rob Mougey additionally inspired him to contact Elion, he lastly relented.
“I finally agreed as a result of I used to be at a degree within the fall of 2022 the place I used to be enjoying good golf, however I wasn’t scoring good, after which I wasn’t joyful,” Clark mentioned. “I used to be actually pissed off. I used to be sort of on the level the place I used to be like, ‘I do not wish to do that anymore.'”
The primary time Elion, who spoke to ESPN with Clark’s consent, talked to Clark on the cellphone in late 2022, she was greatly surprised by his reluctance to work along with her.
“He would not need me to say this, however he was even just a little, like, impolite,” Elion mentioned. “And, you recognize, I’ve seen that earlier than. I am at a degree in my profession that it actually did not matter to me both as a result of any person has to wish to do it. I by no means make the cellphone name, proper? They must say, ‘I wish to get higher.’ After I first talked to him, I wasn’t positive if he was there.”
Elion’s evaluation of Clark’s willingness to peel again the psychological obstacles that had been stopping him from changing into among the best golfers on this planet did not change a lot after their preliminary face-to-face assembly at an Arizona Starbucks in January 2023.
“The primary assembly was me telling her how I am very skeptical of the work she does,” Clark mentioned. “Just about me telling her that I’ve seen a variety of sports activities psychologists, have labored with a variety of psychological coaches, if you’ll. I mentioned, ‘I do not know if you are going to be that a lot completely different.'”
Clark and Elion got here to an settlement: He would do what she requested of him for six months, and if there have been no enhancements in his life — on and off the course — they’d go their separate methods.
She was keen to place within the work as a result of a few of her different shoppers had mentioned Clark was as gifted as anybody — if he might sort out the psychological a part of the sport.
Elion instructed Clark that since he was at all-time low mentally, there was just one strategy to go — up.
“The phrase on the road was that this man is unbelievable,” Elion mentioned. “However it was a mountain to climb, so I stored attempting to remind myself of that. I used to be like, ‘Do I actually wish to take this on?’ However it appeared like he had a really candy, variety, considerate a part of him beneath all of it.”
A former All-American at Oklahoma State and Oregon, Clark’s skilled profession had gotten off to a promising begin. In 2019, he was one in every of eight PGA Tour rookies to make the FedEx Cup playoffs after piling up three top-10s and eight top-25s. Then issues went south. The subsequent season, he missed 12 cuts in 23 begins. Throughout the first spherical of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Basic in Detroit, he walked off the course after carding three bogeys in 4 holes and withdrew. On the finish of 2021, he did not make the weekend in every of his previous seven begins.
“I believe possibly his expectations and what he perceived of himself and what was actuality had been completely different,” Ellis mentioned. “He got here out considering he was one of the best participant on this planet, which is nice. I do not wish to say his expectations had been too excessive as a result of to be nice, they must be excessive. However he had just a little success, after which he anticipated to win each golf match, and it simply would not work like that.”
AT THE BEGINNING of 2022, Clark was ranked 252nd on this planet.
“I had skilled my thoughts over years of belittling myself and considering negatively, locking myself in rooms and never popping out for a very long time, or ingesting to extra, or being imply to individuals,” Clark mentioned throughout an episode of the second season of “Full Swing” on Netflix. “I did not wish to play golf.”
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Clark’s underlying anger is what Elion targeted on throughout their first few classes. She talks to her shoppers a number of instances every week and attends a number of tournaments, together with all 4 majors. She’ll speak to shoppers about non-golf points early within the week, then assist them set targets for every spherical and dissect them throughout tournaments.
Elion mentioned Clark was coping with “loss and grief and anger as a result of he wasn’t the place he thought he needs to be in his profession.”
Clark mentioned a lot of his anger and ache got here from his mom’s demise. Lise Clark launched her son to golf when he was 3 years previous. She later handed the baton to Clark’s father, Randall, who picked up the sport when his son confirmed curiosity.
Randall Clark was a star tennis participant rising up in Albuquerque. He’s one in every of solely two four-time particular person state champions in New Mexico highschool historical past. He was a No. 1 singles participant on the College of Arizona, however his promising skilled profession was derailed by accidents.
Lise was topped Miss New Mexico and competed within the Miss USA pageant in 1981. They had been married at Riviera Nation Membership outdoors Los Angeles in 1989. Six months after their youthful son, Brendan, was born in June 1997, Lise was recognized with breast most cancers. She endured chemotherapy and radiation and was declared cancer-free in 2001.
In 2012, Clark enrolled at Oklahoma State and was thought-about one of many prime amateurs within the nation. Then, 4 days earlier than Christmas in 2012, Clark’s mom was recognized with stage 4 metastatic breast most cancers. The illness had unfold all through her physique. Medical doctors instructed her that radiation, chemotherapy and surgical procedure weren’t an possibility.
Lise died Aug. 2, 2013. She was 55. She beloved to inform her son, “I really like you, winner.” Shortly earlier than her demise, Lise had one final message for him: “Hey, play large. Play for one thing larger than your self.”
Though Clark was named an All-American by Golfweek and voted Huge 12 Participant of the 12 months the following season, the load of his mom’s absence quickly started to take a toll on his life and recreation. After struggling a lot of the following two years, he transferred to Oregon for his ultimate school season.
AFTER WINNING THE U.S. Open, Clark described his mom as his “rock” and “always-there supporter.”
“So when issues had been robust or when issues had been going nice, she was at all times there to maintain me grounded and both carry me up or maintain the excessive going,” Clark mentioned.
By means of his time with Elion, Clark realized that his mom was greater than that. Generally, she was additionally a filter between him and his father.
“My dad was knowledgeable tennis participant,” Clark mentioned. “Dads unknowingly put a variety of strain on their children generally, particularly once they excelled at one thing. And so I felt a variety of strain from my dad as nicely. And so I believe the mixture of these two, it simply made it robust to the place, you recognize, I felt a variety of strain from my dad. After which I did not have my mother to go to after she handed, and so it was robust to cope with issues.”
Randall described himself as a “extremely aggressive skilled athlete” and later a “hyper aggressive sizzling shot on Wall Avenue” on his LinkedIn account. He declined to be interviewed.
Randall wasn’t at Los Angeles Nation Membership when his son captured the largest victory of his profession on the 2023 U.S. Open. Clark mentioned his dad “could not make it” and “did not wish to jinx something.”
“I really like my dad, and he clearly loves me,” Clark mentioned. “However it was robust for me at tournaments generally having him there. Now, he is coming to tournaments, and I really feel like our relationship is rising a ton, which is what I need. I need my dad to be there and embrace him after a win. I need to have the ability to get pleasure from our time collectively, which we do now and it is very nice.”
Elion mentioned Clark’s relationship together with his father has improved dramatically.
“I believe the mother was supportive and the glue and possibly was very encouraging to Wyndham,” Elion mentioned. “I believe the connection was just a little completely different together with his dad. Now, it is really come full circle the place he is beginning to really feel that together with his dad, which is nice.”
At Oregon, Clark discovered a second household in Jeff and Jamie Gaskill and their three younger daughters. The Gaskills had first met Clark when he was 15 years previous. They hosted him whereas he competed in an beginner match in Eugene. Clark stayed with them once more when he made a recruiting go to to Oregon earlier than signing with Oklahoma State.
When Clark determined to switch to Oregon for his ultimate school season, the plan was for him to stick with the Gaskills for a couple of week till he met his new teammates and located a roommate. He ended up dwelling with them for his total faculty yr.
“When he received right here, I believe he realized he wanted extra household stuff,” Jeff mentioned. “I believe that was one of many lacking items. His mother was the homemaker and she or he supplied that sort of consolation for him. When she went away, his sister was older, and his brother was the one one dwelling in Denver together with his dad. He was sort of on his personal for some time. He felt stranded.”
Gaskill’s two older daughters, Kaitlyn and Kaleah, who had been 6 and 9 on the time, relished Clark’s presence. They painted his fingernails and did his hair. When he returned residence from a match, there was a banner congratulating him on his efficiency, whether or not he completed first or twenty third.
When the Gaskills went to Hawaii for Christmas in 2016, Clark returned to Denver to be together with his household. After the vacations, Kaleah instructed a instructor that she missed her brother throughout the break. The instructor requested Jamie if her husband had a son from a earlier relationship — not realizing that Kaleah was speaking in regards to the Oregon golfer who was dwelling with them.
Clark nonetheless visits the Gaskills throughout holidays, and so they attend a handful of his tournaments every year.
“I actually assume that was instrumental while you actually take a look at it as a result of he had a ton of assist,” Oregon golf coach Casey Martin mentioned. “He had this neat household that simply embraced him. That basically allowed him to decelerate and sort of get out of the rat race. Whether or not it was a social rat race or whether or not it was a {golfing} rat race, I believe life slowed down that means.”
CLARK’S FORM RETURNED at Oregon as nicely. When he arrived in Eugene, Martin mentioned his recreation was in a “unhealthy place.”
“He was simply sort of scrambling in a semi-angry mode of, ‘Why cannot I determine this out?'” Martin mentioned. “It wasn’t a lot a golf challenge because it was simply placing the geese in a row. Simply getting his life sort of balanced and simply getting a transparent head. That occurred right here at Oregon as a result of I sort of knew that wanted to occur as a result of it was apparent that it wasn’t a expertise challenge or a ability challenge.”
With Ellis shadowing Clark on the course, and the Gaskills supporting him off it, he turned among the best gamers within the sport once more. He received the Pac-12 particular person championship and was named the league’s participant of the yr in 2017. He was a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award as the highest participant in school golf.
“It was nonetheless a battle to get him to not be a perfectionist and simply not sort of be overly crucial of his golf and mechanics,” Martin mentioned. “I believe now he is in a spot the place he is simply sort of doing it with him and John. I believe that is fairly highly effective when a participant takes possession, learns it and simply focuses on simplicity, if that is sensible.”
4 months after Clark began working with Elion, he captured his first PGA Tour victory with a 4-shot win on the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hole in Charlotte in Could 2023. The subsequent month, he received the U.S. Open. He completed third on the season-ending Tour Championship and competed on the U.S. group on the Ryder Cup in Rome.
This season, Clark picked up his third victory on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am on Feb. 4 and was runner-up to Scheffler in back-to-back begins on the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Gamers Championship in March. He missed the reduce at his first Masters and the PGA Championship, however is trying to regain momentum at Pinehurst No. 2.
The golfer who could not determine the best way to win is now ranked No. 4 on this planet.
“I used to be imagining I may very well be sort of within the spot I’m at now,” Clark mentioned. ” Not less than if I appeared internally and checked out my expertise and work ethic and the issues that I knew I might do with a golf ball and what I did in observe. But when I checked out what I did in competitors below the lights, two, three, 4 years in the past, I possibly would not have believed it.
“As a result of I at all times struggled to carry out essentially the most in my recreation when it mattered. And after assembly with Julie, you recognize, over a couple of yr and a half in the past, and, you recognize, she was so assured that I might do the whole lot that I’ve accomplished to date. And to now look — and she or he was proper — is fairly wonderful.”
In case you or somebody you recognize is having ideas of suicide or is in emotional misery, contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
